Device Config Backup and Restore

Overview

LoopString lets you save a complete snapshot of your device configuration to a file on your computer. If something goes wrong — a bad import, an accidental change, or a hardware replacement — you can restore everything in seconds. The same file can also be loaded onto a different device, making it straightforward to replicate a working setup across multiple units.

Backups are standard JSON files. They contain only your configuration data, never any authentication credentials or live sensor readings.

This feature is available on the Maker plan and above.

How to Export a Backup

1. Open your device dashboard and navigate to Device Settings.
2. Scroll to the Backup section.
3. Click the Export Configuration button.
4. The app reads your configuration from the cloud and downloads a file named something like loopstring-backup-abc123-2026-03-19.json to your computer.

The export runs in the background. A confirmation message appears when the download is ready. Keep the file somewhere safe — a cloud storage folder, an external drive, or wherever you store other important documents.

What Is Included in a Backup

A backup can contain up to six sections. Only sections that exist for your device are written to the file — if you have never configured alert thresholds, that section is simply omitted.

Configurator Draft — The most recent design for this device saved in the visual Configurator. Restoring this lets you resume editing or re-deploy the same Node-RED flow.

Alert Thresholds — Every alarm rule you have set up for your sensors, including high and low limits and hysteresis values.

Room Configuration — The rooms you have created and the sensors and actuators assigned to each one.

Dashboard Layout — The arrangement of cards on your dashboard, including any blank spacers and hidden cards.

Unit Preferences — Your chosen display units for temperature, pressure, volume, and flow rate.

Flow Snapshot — A read-only copy of the last deployed Node-RED flow. This is included for reference; to re-deploy a flow you use the Configurator deploy button, not the restore path.

How to Restore or Import a Backup

1. Open Device Settings and scroll to the Backup section.
2. Click Select Backup File.
3. Choose the .json file you exported earlier.
4. The app reads the file and shows you a summary: which sections are present, when the file was exported, and which app version created it.
5. Use the checkboxes to select only the sections you want to restore. You do not have to restore everything.
6. Click Apply Import.
7. A confirmation dialog lists the sections that will be overwritten. Read it carefully, then click Apply Import again to proceed.

The restore writes all selected sections to the cloud at once. Either every section succeeds or none of them are changed — the operation is all-or-nothing to avoid leaving your configuration in a half-restored state.

After a successful restore, reload the dashboard to see your changes take effect.

Selecting Sections

You do not always need to restore a complete backup. The section checkboxes let you be surgical:

• If you only want to recover your alert thresholds after accidentally deleting them, check only Alert Thresholds.
• If you are cloning a device and want to copy rooms and layout but keep the new device's own alert settings, uncheck Alert Thresholds and import only the other sections.
• If you are restoring after a hardware replacement, you probably want everything checked.

Deselecting sections you do not need reduces the risk of overwriting something you want to keep.

Use Cases

Disaster Recovery

Suppose you or a team member accidentally deletes a room or clears all your alarm thresholds. Rather than rebuilding from memory, open Device Settings, import your most recent backup file, and select only the affected sections. Your configuration is restored in seconds without touching anything else.

It is a good habit to export a fresh backup before making major changes to your Configurator draft or alert settings. Think of it like a save point before editing.

Cloning a Setup to a New Device

If you are expanding your deployment and the new device should behave identically to an existing one, export a backup from the working device, then import it on the new device. When you import a file that was created for a different device, the app shows a warning banner so you are aware of the mismatch. You can still proceed — the import replaces configuration data on the target device without affecting the source.

Note that the Flow Snapshot section is for reference only and cannot be restored via import. To deploy the same Node-RED flow to a new device, open the Configurator, load the draft that was restored in the import, and use the Deploy button.

Troubleshooting

The file I selected is rejected with an error

The app validates backup files before doing anything with them. Common reasons a file is rejected:

• The file is not a .json file, or it was corrupted or partially downloaded. Try re-exporting from the original device.
• The file is larger than 10 MB. This is extremely unlikely with a normal configuration backup and usually means the wrong file was selected.
• The file was modified manually or created by a tool other than LoopString. The backup format is validated strictly; any structural change causes the import to refuse the file.

The import succeeded but my dashboard looks the same

A restore writes to the cloud immediately, but your browser may be displaying a cached version of the data. Do a full page reload after a successful import. If the dashboard still does not reflect the restored state, check that you selected the correct sections before importing.

I see a "different device" warning

This warning appears when the device ID recorded in the backup file does not match the device you are currently viewing. It does not block the import. Review which sections you are importing and consider whether the configuration from the source device makes sense for the target device. Room names and sensor assignments in particular may reference sensor IDs that do not exist on the new device.

The Export Configuration button is not visible

Device Config Backup requires the Maker plan or above. If you are on the Hobby or Free tier, upgrade your subscription to access this feature.

Known Issues and Limitations

• The Flow Snapshot included in a backup is read-only. It is exported for reference and version history but cannot be directly deployed via the restore flow. Use the Configurator to re-deploy a flow.
• Unit Preferences and Dashboard Layout are account-wide settings, not per-device. Restoring either of these sections affects all your devices, not only the one you are currently viewing.
• If your alert configuration contains an unusually large number of sensors (approaching 500 individual rules), the import may fail because it exceeds the database write limit. In that case, import sections in smaller batches by deselecting some and running a second import pass.